Meet Jen-nice.

 By Kendall Worth!

Eating healthy on Income Assistance is a full time job!

Jen-nice’s situation is related to a few different elements of life on Income Assistance. As you read this First Voice story, (and as this post covers) remember how important it is, that First Voice continue to come forward and to bring their stories forward.

For you as a reader, to understand the community of people I advocate for, and to understand each situation from different perspectives, and different angles, you can read through all the First Voice stories, here. Each First Voice story raises awareness, and will help you understand a variety of situations within the community of welfare recipients in Nova Scotia.

In Jen-nice’s case, her situation, on Income Assistance, has changed three times over the past 10 years of her life. However, first, the story of her her current struggle. As this post talks about, and this post elaborates on, nothing has been done about the special diet allowances, although the ESIA so called transformation, beginning in 2013, under the Liberals, was supposed to deal with it. Tim Houston raised the Income Assistance rates to inflation, but even then, the Special Diet Allowances did not increase, while the prices of shopping at the grocery store increased substantially.

While receiving Income Assistance, Jen-ice has become very creative. While most Income Assistance recipients do their errands, the same day that “cheques” come out. Here is what she does… She plans her cheque day errands, over a period of 3 different days. When buying her “special diet needs”, she actually makes 2 different trips to the Grocery store on 2 separate days. She calls one of two trips her Special Diet needs trip. However, she has noticed that the allowance (she takes the exact amount to the grocery store) of $81.00 has been providing less and less over the past 10 years, as the price of groceries has increased a lot during that period. Then she told me that, over the past year, her grocery bill just for her Special Diets needs has come to $151.49 per trip!! She has been exploring over this past year, how to make cuts when she makes her grocery store trip, for everything else. Thankfully she lives within walking distance to her grocery store, so, she she does not have to worry about a cab. Many other Income Assistance recipients, have to pay the cost of taking a cab home from the grocery store, from what is left after rent is paid.

Jen-nice receives the $1005.00 standard household rate, and, she receives a $300.00 Rental subsidy. Her rent is $1000.00 a month, so subtracting $1000.00,  she has $305.00 a month left, after paying rent. Then she gets $81.00 Special Diet Allowance that = $386.00 a month. However, as mentioned above, even though receiving the extra $81.00 helps, her actual grocery store bill for her special diet needs come to $151.49. Subtracting $81.00 from $151.49 that = $70.49 coming out of the remainder of her allowance. Subtracting $70.49 from $305.00 = $234.51 Left over for everything else.

Then she does get the $40.00 special need telephone allowance. Thankfully she does get the $318.00 Disability Supplement, which does help, but, honestly is not a great help. She pays $67.85 a month for her cell phone. Subtracting $27.85 from $234.51 = $206.66 plus $318.00 = $524.66. She pays $100.00 a month on her power bill so that brings down what she has left to $424.66 left over for the rest of her groceries, and personal hygiene products, etc.

But there is more to Jen-nice’s story!

Jen-nice told me she was girl who had big dreams about how she wanted to live her life. From 18 years old to 25 years, she had a full time job working at a clothing store. Well she actually said when she was 24 years old, her hours got cut and went from full time to part time. She grew up an only child, never knowing anything about who her father is. She did not disclose much detail, but at 25 years old, she got into an accident and that is when she first went on EI, and then on Income Assistance, after her EI ran out. In her young life she never imagined she would someday be on a system like income assistance. She is now 36 years old, and she was 26 when she got on the system.

During the interview, she pointed out, that she first learned about my BLOG and my reporting on day to day life on Income Assistance, back in the winter months. She learned about the BLOG, where she volunteers once a week -- at a coffee drop-in, for down and out people. She particularly enjoyed this post, about the benefits of a support group, especially for those that have had friendships end; and this post, where I proposed a support group is needed for those whose friendships have ended with accusations of "not respecting boundaries".

Jen-nice is happy that things work out in her personal life, and she only has to depend on using places like Food Banks and Soup kitchens one week a month. She has experienced issues where others who are standing in line at these services are not respecting her boundaries. Jen-nice told me, sadly, that it is going to be easier said than done to ever get off of Income Assistance, because of her invisible disabilities and mental health issues.

Jen-nice told me that, unlike many others, she does have a friend, (and she calls him her only friend) who does look out for her. She did say she would like to set a further goal of having a network of friends, for support. She appreciated my posts on Social Prescribing, and told me “Kendall, I hope that someday this program comes to light.” She would like to have a group of friends who she does social stuff with. In the meantime, her one friend will make a plan to hangout with her once or twice a month, but they both agreed that hanging out more often than that will be unhealthy. Also that one friend of hers is a single father, and on some of the weekends when they do not have plans to spend time together, her friend has his kids, and she is very clear with him she wants to respect that.

Even on the weekends they do not have plans, he always checks to see if she needs anything, and, if she ever has to go into the hospital for Day Sugery, he committed to being available for things like that.

Lets continue to hope for better for all Income Assistance recipients moving forward!